French speeding tickets being sent UK licence holders
Discussion
lowdrag said:
How did you witness it? Did you park up on the side of the motorway to count? I also go backwards and forwards to the UK,I do exceed the speed limit, but am careful when approaching any port. It's a logical thing to do. I have never been stopped for speeding in France in over 20 years of living here and for the matter have only been stopped once in a control for my papers. Going back to your earlier comment, I understood that the main offenders on the motorways (and the statistics were from before the gilet jaunes took umbrage) were the Germans.
You have been very fortunate with controles papiers, I lived in France for 8 years and expected at least one controle per month, regardless of driving on French or foreign plates.I found the Gendarmes and other police were pretty fair minded over speeding offences though, fining me just once, despite stopping me legitimately on numerous occasions.
Le Vette said:
Incredibly, my mate got another two today, from the same five-day trip to see us in Normandy. He's not a nutter or a speed freak, but he didn't have Waze or a similar navigation aid with cameras on it. 
And is it completely impossible for him to keep within the speed limit?Funny how things change
I remember the days when they timed you between toll boths and one toll operator looked at my time of entry and said "Good time, very fast" he then charged me my 3 euro's.
These days in France I stick to the limits especially on main roads and around population centres, and everywhere in the northern part of the country.
I remember the days when they timed you between toll boths and one toll operator looked at my time of entry and said "Good time, very fast" he then charged me my 3 euro's.
These days in France I stick to the limits especially on main roads and around population centres, and everywhere in the northern part of the country.
psi310398 said:
lowdrag said:
How did you witness it? Did you park up on the side of the motorway to count? I also go backwards and forwards to the UK,I do exceed the speed limit, but am careful when approaching any port. It's a logical thing to do. I have never been stopped for speeding in France in over 20 years of living here and for the matter have only been stopped once in a control for my papers. Going back to your earlier comment, I understood that the main offenders on the motorways (and the statistics were from before the gilet jaunes took umbrage) were the Germans.
I've noticed that the Benelux drivers seem particularly lead-footed, too.Anyway, to answer your question, on a number of occasions, both on the A25 and A26, I have clocked a gendarme behind a bridge column (given away by retrospective application of brakes by drivers ahead of me or because Waze has been kind enough to tell me) who has then presumably radio'd up to colleagues ahead, often at the next tollbooth. There is often a line of UK plated cars there and precious few locals.
I envy you the once in twenty years experience on showing papers. I average a couple of times a month here in Italy, but we are close to the Swiss border and the Guardia di Finanza is more active here than in most places, so it's not just the local police and Carabinieri earning their crust...
smifffymoto said:
Maybe the locals don’t get pulled because they respect the speed limit,just a thought.
Having witnessed French driving over the years, I suspect it's more that they know where the traps are
. Although I'd accept that many have accepted that les flics really mean it this time.blueg33 said:
Funny how things change
I remember the days when they timed you between toll boths and one toll operator looked at my time of entry and said "Good time, very fast" he then charged me my 3 euro's.
These days in France I stick to the limits especially on main roads and around population centres, and everywhere in the northern part of the country.
This old saw again. Have you ever actually looked at a péage ticket in detail? There is no time stamp on it, nor ever has been. What happened was as above; they put a radar behind a bridge a couple of miles short of the péage and radio'd your number plate to those awaiting you with open arms.I remember the days when they timed you between toll boths and one toll operator looked at my time of entry and said "Good time, very fast" he then charged me my 3 euro's.
These days in France I stick to the limits especially on main roads and around population centres, and everywhere in the northern part of the country.
lowdrag said:
This old saw again. Have you ever actually looked at a péage ticket in detail? There is no time stamp on it, nor ever has been. What happened was as above; they put a radar behind a bridge a couple of miles short of the péage and radio'd your number plate to those awaiting you with open arms.
Hi,My summer's student's holidays seen me working on the A1 toll before Paris, the "big one" in Chamant, 50kms north of Paris. You get a lot of people there: French (obviously), English, Belgium, Danish, Germans.... really interesting
The point is that, 10 years ago, it was printed some information on the ticket: where you entered + day + time. Don't know when it was introduced, but don't see them removing it since... This is used as a back-up in case the ticket is not working: the operator can enter manually where the car come from.
Also, as you have the entry time, and the computer know the actual time, the operator can visualize the average speed. I had tendency to look at it when I saw foreigners in powerful cars: often "disappointing", sometimes (pretty) impressive. Occurrence increased at night time, with the lady sleeping....
Of course, the highway company doesn't care at all about this number. The blue guy at the bridge, 2 kms before, did care and informed his friends, which were then waiting for you at the toll. I use to drive quiet often across this bridge, passing their car stationed there... Never understood why, but my car always had troubles there and I had to keep the rev high to not stall :/
They (mainly) disappeared after the Gvt installed the automatic camera few hundred yards further...
Hope that's help !
lowdrag said:
blueg33 said:
Funny how things change
I remember the days when they timed you between toll boths and one toll operator looked at my time of entry and said "Good time, very fast" he then charged me my 3 euro's.
These days in France I stick to the limits especially on main roads and around population centres, and everywhere in the northern part of the country.
This old saw again. Have you ever actually looked at a péage ticket in detail? There is no time stamp on it, nor ever has been. What happened was as above; they put a radar behind a bridge a couple of miles short of the péage and radio'd your number plate to those awaiting you with open arms.I remember the days when they timed you between toll boths and one toll operator looked at my time of entry and said "Good time, very fast" he then charged me my 3 euro's.
These days in France I stick to the limits especially on main roads and around population centres, and everywhere in the northern part of the country.
I don't suppose many of you have thought that most péage exits are now unmanned, and have been for years? So how do they catch you then? I have been friends with the BiB here at Le Mans for over 20 years, and it was they who told me that it was a myth. I too was caught on the way to the west from Paris in 1992, and if it was the ticket, why was I waved over at the péage when they hadn't seen the ticket? Simple, the radar is a few kilometers back, they radio your number ahead, and they see you coming and wave you aside. And what if you pay by credit card? The machine doesn't pick up the time stamp. And finally, I have for 18 years had the télépéage in the screen, and if anything could work it would be that, but I have never been stopped except that once.
lowdrag said:
I don't suppose many of you have thought that most péage exits are now unmanned, and have been for years? So how do they catch you then? I have been friends with the BiB here at Le Mans for over 20 years, and it was they who told me that it was a myth. I too was caught on the way to the west from Paris in 1992, and if it was the ticket, why was I waved over at the péage when they hadn't seen the ticket? Simple, the radar is a few kilometers back, they radio your number ahead, and they see you coming and wave you aside. And what if you pay by credit card? The machine doesn't pick up the time stamp. And finally, I have for 18 years had the télépéage in the screen, and if anything could work it would be that, but I have never been stopped except that once.
I said that the tickets had entry time on them, I didn’t say people got prosecuted on the basis of that. What the toll booth man said to me is fact.
lowdrag said:
The UK do not fine foreign plates, so while the French have access at our DVLA details for UK speeders the UK do not do so for French plates in the UK. For example, I come to the UK to visit my family, and I cross the Thames. I do not get fined for not paying the toll.
My car doesn't even show up on the Dutch insurance and APK (MoT) databases, so I figured the chances of the dart crossing finding me if I ever went across it were slim, but didn't know the UK didn't pursue overseas speeding fines. 
Mind you on the negative side turning up at Dunkirk customs in a right hand drive Dutch plated car with a British passport always seems to result in a bit of a wait.
blueg33 said:
I said that the tickets had entry time on them, I didn’t say people got prosecuted on the basis of that.
What the toll booth man said to me is fact.
Well, this subject has come up so many times, and each time I have challenged people to scan a ticket with the date stamp on it. To date, no one has done so. This myth of being prosecuted by time calculation has so many holes in it. Admittedly, France is now installing average speed cameras and also a new breed of fixed cameras on poles, one that can catch speeding in either direction, but at the same time the number of manned toll booths is now very small. Cards and télépéage only is the rule today, although there are operatives to sort out people's problems. So even if the problem existed 15 years ago, it is a dead subject today.What the toll booth man said to me is fact.
The Mad Monk said:
Le Vette said:
Incredibly, my mate got another two today, from the same five-day trip to see us in Normandy. He's not a nutter or a speed freak, but he didn't have Waze or a similar navigation aid with cameras on it.
And is it completely impossible for him to keep within the speed limit?
Edited by Pitre on Sunday 9th February 20:30
lowdrag said:
blueg33 said:
I said that the tickets had entry time on them, I didn’t say people got prosecuted on the basis of that.
What the toll booth man said to me is fact.
Well, this subject has come up so many times, and each time I have challenged people to scan a ticket with the date stamp on it. To date, no one has done so. This myth of being prosecuted by time calculation has so many holes in it. Admittedly, France is now installing average speed cameras and also a new breed of fixed cameras on poles, one that can catch speeding in either direction, but at the same time the number of manned toll booths is now very small. Cards and télépéage only is the rule today, although there are operatives to sort out people's problems. So even if the problem existed 15 years ago, it is a dead subject today.What the toll booth man said to me is fact.
I have been driving in France many times each year since 1983. There is no doubt that some tickets were time stamped.
Pitre said:
The Mad Monk said:
Le Vette said:
Incredibly, my mate got another two today, from the same five-day trip to see us in Normandy. He's not a nutter or a speed freak, but he didn't have Waze or a similar navigation aid with cameras on it.
And is it completely impossible for him to keep within the speed limit?But I would have thought that your mate would have got the message by now.
clive_candy said:
Got back two and a half weeks ago from a fortnight touring France.
Just had the second speeding ticket arrive in the post - this one from our second day in the country.
I don't like where this is going.
Perhaps you need to consider slowing down. Alternatively, you can do the same as everyone else and just use Waze.Just had the second speeding ticket arrive in the post - this one from our second day in the country.
I don't like where this is going.
Slowing down? It's just the lack of familiarity and the whole kph versus mph thing. Need to get into the kph groove. Oh, and maps can be deceptive. It's a bigger country than you think.
Waze? Gee, thanks, why did nobody tell me about this 3 weeks ago?
I don't suppose there will be that many of you heading off to France any time soon but for those of you who are adventurous/irresponsible enough (don't you know there's a bleedin' pandemic?) , keep your eyes peeled!
Waze? Gee, thanks, why did nobody tell me about this 3 weeks ago?
I don't suppose there will be that many of you heading off to France any time soon but for those of you who are adventurous/irresponsible enough (don't you know there's a bleedin' pandemic?) , keep your eyes peeled!
I'm glad this subject has come up again because there was another thread on how, if at all, the French were actually collecting the fines. Some were getting a couple of letters and then no more, some saying they weren't going to pay at all. So I was wondering if anyone here has received a penalty notice yet not paid. And if so, were they pursued?
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